Electric igniter for gas-engines.



Patented Nov. 5, l90l.

J. B. FENNER. ELECTRIC IGNITER FOR GAS ENGINES.

( Application filed Apr. 4, 1901.

2 Sheets-Sheet I.

(No Model.)

. m m W fi Aw E R a \N E N\ N W k N n P \E Q 0 E w H o N G u W 0 o No. 685,978. Patented Nov. 5, i905.

J. B. FENNEB.

ELEGTRIG'IGNITER FOR GAS ENGINES. (Application filed Apr. 4, 1901.) No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

III/4 MHHHE I UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

,JEss B. FENNER, or 'BUFFALQ'NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO' THE J.

w. RUGER MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF BUFFALO, 'NEW YORK.

ELECTRIC IGNITER FOR GAS-ENGINES.

"srn'cIFIcArI'on forming ar of Letters Patent'iNo. 685,978. dated November 5, 1901.

Application filedApril/t, 1901.

Serial M64340. (No model.)

To all whmit may concern/. I

Be it known that I, J EssB." FENNER, a citi zen of the United States, residin g at Buffalo, in the 'co inty of Erie and State of New York, have invented newand useful Improvements in' Electric Igniters for Gas-Engines, of which the followingis a specification. f This invention relates to an electric ig-niter for gas-engines, and has forits object to pro-' duce an igniter of this type'which is simple and durable in construction and reliable in operation and in'whieh' the wear of the contactsand of the electric generator is reduced to a mini- In the accompanying drawings, consisting of two sheets, Figure 1 is a top plan view, partly in section, of a'gas-engine provided with my improved igniter. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same, partly in section. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the igniter-operating mechanism, showing the same in a different position from that shown in Fig. 2.. Fig. 4is

a vertical transverse section, on an enlarged scale, in line 4 4, Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a fragmem '5 line 6 7, Fig. 4, showing different positions of the eccentric bearing-sleeve of the igniterspindleJ Figs. 8 and 9 are fragmentary vertical sections taken in line 8 9, Fig. 4, showing diiferent positions of the igniter c0ntacts corresponding to Figs. 6 and 7, respectively. Fig. 10 is a diagram showing the different quarters of the circular movementof the eccentric whereby the-igniter is operated.

Like letters of reference refer to like parts in the several figures.

' A represents the'base of a gas-engine, B the cylinder,arranged on the front part of the base, 0 the valve-chest, arranged on the front end of the cylinder, D the crank-shaft, journaled on the rear part vof the base, and d the pitman, which connects-the. crank s hat't with the piston in the cylinder, all of which parts may be of any suitableandhsual construction.

E represents an igniting-chamber formed in thevalve chest and opening into the front endoithe main or working cylinder B. 1

5o I ff are the contacts, .which are arranged in tary'longitudinal section in line 55, Fig. 4. Figs. 6 and 7 are vertical sections taken in.

the igniting-chamber and which forin the terminals of an electric generator or battery F. The fixed terminal f consists of a flexible plate or bar which isarranged lengthwise in the ig- 'niting-chamber and supported atits outer end 5 5 on a head G, which latter is secured to the front side of the valve-chest, but insulated therefrom. The rocking or movable contact f is arranged at its front end adjacent to the I free end of the fixed contact f, while its rear end is secured to atransverse rock-shaft H, which extends horizon tally through the valvechest and projects at its inner end into the igniting-chamber, as represented in Fig. 4.

with reference to the fixed contact f it engages with the latter and closes the electric circuit; hut-during the backward or return movement of the rocking contact in a direction transversely to the fixed contact it clears the latter, thereby avoiding closing of the circuit'during' this movement of the rocking cont-act.

The mechanism shown in the drawings for imparting a rocking movement to the sleeve '11 is constructed as follows: J represents a longitudinally-movable slide, which is guided ina way j, arranged on the outer side of the base below the tracking sleeve 71. On the front end of this slide is mounted an upwardlyopening forkjfivhich receivesa roller 70, ar-

ranged on the lower end of a rock-arm 7c, which latter depends from the outepen'd of go the rocking sleeve, as-shown' in Figs=.-2,- 3, and 4. Upon reciprocating the slide J the sleeve,

11 is oscillated through the medium of the fork j, roller is, and arm-kflconnecting the slide withthe sleeve, The reciprocating slide receives its motion from a rotating eccentric L, which is driven from the crank-shaft and which has its surrounding strap 1 connected by a bar or pitman Z"with"a pivot pin or. wrist Z arranged on the rear-endof the'slide roo ing every two rotations of the crank-shaftwhen the igniter is to be used in a four-cycle engine or the eccentric may be rotated oncefor every rotation of the crank-shaft when tlyo igniter is to be used'in a two-cycle engine. In the mechanism which is shown in the'drawings for operating theeccentric L the latter is nionnted loosely on the crank-shaft and is turned once during every two rotations of the shaft by a train of gearing, consisting of a gear-wheel in, soon red to the crank-shaft and meshing with a pinion m, pivotally mounted on the eccentric L, and a gear-wheel n, connected with the pinion m, so as to turn therewith, and meshing with an internal gear-rim a, secured to the eccentricstrap Z.. This gearing is thesameas that shown and de-' scribed-in Letters Patent No. 634,207, granted to me October 3', 1899. p

Themechani'sm shown in the drawings for Y oscillating the rock-shaft of the movable contactf is constructed asfollows:

0 represents a rock-arm projecting-rearwardly from the outer end ofthe ,contact-. shaft IL,

P represents a-rock -'arin connected with the pitman'l' and projecting forwardly from the pivot Z thereof; The front end of the rock-arm P'isarranged belowthe rock-arm} o, and the adjacent ends of "theselarms' are connected by an'u pright linkq. I Whilethe' eccentricL' is mov'ing'with its centric the slide J receives the greater part of its backward and forwardmovementthrongh' the medium of the pitm'an Z, which at'this time acts principally-as alinkbetween these parts. While the-salient part of the eccentric Y L is moving throughthe front and re'ar'quartric-st-rap'connected with the pitman.

ters gig. of the circular movement,('see Fig. 10,) it crosses the dead-center, and the longitudinal inovementimparted to the slide let this time iscomparatively small. While the pitman is being moved horizontally forward and backward, the same is also raisedandlowered by' the action of the eccentric and, the eccen- This vertical movement of the pitman is greatest at the time that the eccentric. is moving through the front and rear quarters of its rotation and is least at the'time the'eccentricis moving through the upper and lower'qnarters of its"- .rotation. The vertical movementderived from the eccentric L is transmitted to the contact rock-shaft H andconnecting parts by the pitman l and the rock-arm P, which together at this time form a rock-lever having its'fulcrum or pivot on the wrist-pin 1 At the end of" the backward or compression stroke of the piston the eccentricLis moving downwardly past the dead-center in the rear quarter 3 of its rotation, in which position the slide) is in its rearmost position and practically at a standstill and the rocking sleeved has been turned so that the contact-shaft H, journaled in its upper part, is movedbodily into its foremost position, as shown in -Figs. 2 and 6. While the contact-shaftis in this forward'position, the'rock-le'ver l P'receives the greater part of its vert-ical movement in a direction which causes the rocking contact f to be moved downwardly or laterally with reference to the fixed contact f. During this move- .ment of the rockingc'ontact it first bears against the flexible contact fanddeflects the same, as shown in Fig. 8, and then slips off from the flexible contact, whereby the latter when released separates quickly from the rocking contact and a long -spark is produced upon breaking the electric circuit, which thoroughly ignites the compressed charge of fuel in the cylinder. During the last part of the downward movement of the rocking contact afterthe same clears the flexible contact the coach trio L-mov'esforwardly thro ugh thelo wer quarter w of its rotation, during which time its efiect upon the slide J is greater for moving the same forward, whileits efiect upon the lever-Z .P for rocking the same is smaller,

.whereby the rocki ngsleevei is turned in the direction formovingthe contact-shaft backward bodily into the position shown in Figs. 7and 9.

While the contact-shaft is in this position, therocking. sleeve practically remains standing still for a time and thecontact-shaft is turned in-a direction for'raising or moving the contactfftransversely with refe'rence' to the fixed contactf by reason of the eccentric L-moving through thefront quarter 3 of its rotation,'as shown in Figs.. 3, 8, and 10,1diiring 'which movementof the eccentric it is-more eifective in avertical direction for rocking the lever l-P and less effective in a horizonal 'direction,so tha'tthe slide is notmoved lengthwise to any extent. While the rocking contact f" is being thus raised, it is arranged out of reach of the flexible contact fand clears "the 'same,'whereby the circuit is not closed during this part of the movement of the rock-'- ing contact and'unnecessary waste of the battery-currentis thereby avoided. During the last partof the upward movement of the rock ing' contact f the eccentric L moves rearwardly through the-upper quarter met its rotation, during which time the rhck-lever l P turns but slightly; but the slide J is moved rearwar y to a considerable extent, whereby the contact-shaft H is moved forwardly'into' position preparatory to again engaging its contact f with the contact fduring the next following downward movement of the former.

It will'be seen that by the use of a single eccentric the rocking contact f receives a downward and upward movement or trans:

'versely relativelyto the fixed contact and'a so a forward and backward movement relatively to the fixed contact, so thatthe same'in its downward movement engages the fixed contact, but the same clears thefixed contact during its upward movement. 1 By this meansv the free end of the rocking contact moves in a crescent-shaped path, as shown by dotted stem or spindle s of the exhaust-valve for,

lines 2 in Figs. 8 and 9. p

In the construction shown in the drawings the movement of the slide J is utilized to operate a rock-lever R, which engages with the opening the same; but this in no way afiects the operation of the .igniter.

'I claim as my in vention-- 1. In an electric igniter for gas-engines, the combination with the cooperatingfixed and movable contacts, of a'shifting device for moving the movable contact forward and backward in a direction lengthwise of the" -fixed contact, and a "shifting device "which moves the movable contact forward transversely of the fixed contact and into engagement with the same while the movable contact is in the front'part of its longitudinal movement and which moves the movable contact backward transversely of the fixed con-' i tact while the movable contact is in the rear ward and backward transversely of the fixed contact, and an actuating device wherebythe rocking sleeve is oscillated for carrying the rock-shaft and movable contact forward and backward lengthwise of the fixed 1. contact,-

said transverse forward movement of the movable contact being effected while the rocking sleeve is-in the front part of its movement and the transverse rearward movementof the movable contact being efiected while the rocking sleeve is in the rear part of its movement, substantially as set forth.

3. In an electric igniter for gas-engines, the combination with two cooperating contacts,

I of a; rock-shaftcarryingone of said contacts, a rocking sleeve provided eccentrically with a bearing in which said shaft is journaled, a reciprocating slide which engages with an arm on said sleeve for rocking the same, a rock-lever pivoted on said slide and connected with an arm on said shaft, and an actuat wing device whereby said lever and slide are reciprocated and the lever is oscillated on the slide, substantially as set forth.

' 4. In an electric igniter for gas-engines,'the combination with two cooperating contacts,

of a rock-shaft carrying one .of said contacts,

a. rocking sleeve provided eccentricallj with a bearing in which said shaft is journaled, a reciprocating slide which engages with an arm on said sleeve for rocking the same, a rock-lever pivoted on said slide and connected with an arm on said shaft, and a rotat' ing eccentric having its strap connected with said rock-lever, substantially as set' forth.

5. In an electric igniter for gas-engines, the combination with a flexible contact which is secured to a fixed support, and a rigid contact adapted to cooperate with the flexible contact, of a rock-shaft carrying said rigid contact, a. rocking sleeve journaled in a bearing and provided eccentrically with a bearing in which saidrock-shaft is journaled, an

arm depending from said rocking sleeve and.

provided with a roller, a reciprocating slide provided with a fork which receives said roller, a rock-lever pivoted on said slideand having one of its arms connected by a link with an arm on said'rockj shaft, and arot'ating eccentric having its surrounding strap connected with the other arm of the rock-lever, substantially as set forth.

Witness my hand this 29th day of March, a

JESS B. FENNER.

Witnessesr THEO. L. POPP, CARL F. GEYER. 

